1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automotive sun visors which are rotatively and pivotally mounted above the windshield. More particularly, the present invention relates to pivot rods upon which sun visors are pivotally mounted, wherein the pivot rod has an elbow which is rotatively connected to the roof of the vehicle. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a head impact energy absorbing pivot rod elbow cover.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Federal motor vehicle standards are being continuously updated. One area of current concern is occupant safety in the event of a crash. Occupants are typically violently moved in relation to the vehicle due to the inertial forces involved in a crash. Most vulnerable is the head of the occupants. Accordingly, FMVSS 201 has recently been upgraded to include a head injury criterion (HIC). In order for vehicle manufacturers to meet the HIC, additional padding of the interior trim must be provided.
One area of the interior of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle that is particularly dangerous in the event of a head impact is the elbow of a sun visor pivot rod. The pivot rod elbow is quite rigid, of a small cross-section rod stock which is sometimes plastic covered, and the angle is a sharp ninety degrees. An occupant whose head untowardly strikes the pivot rod elbow is likely to be injured because the energy of the impact will be delivered to a small surface area of the skull.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, an example of a conventional sun visor 10 is shown. The sun visor 10 is pivotally mounted to the pain portion 12b of a pivot rod 12. As best shown at FIG. 2, the pivot rod 12 includes a ninety degree elbow 14, wherein an end portion 12a of the pivot rod 12 is rotatably mounted to the metallic roof 16 via a cap 18 which is fastened by screws 20. As an example of mounting, the end portion 12a of the pivot rod 12 is rotatably attached to a cap 18 in a spring loaded manner via a compression spring 22. The spring 22 provides frictional resistance as the elbow 14 is rotated with respect to the cap 18. There is a sun visor mounted, as described, at each of the left and right sides of the windshield 24 (only the driver-side sun visor being shown for simplification).
As can be seen at FIG. 1, the pivot rod enables an occupant of the front seat to pivot the sun visor 10 to a storage location A adjacent the headliner 28 to a deployed location B so as to selectively occlude the windshield 24 along arrow P, which pivoting may well exceed ninety degrees. Further, the rotation afforded the elbow 14 allows the pivot rod 12 with its associated sun visor 10 to be rotated from a location adjacent the windshield 24 to an auxiliary location C adjacent the adjoining side door window 26 via a rotation along arrow R, a rotation which may exceed ninety degrees.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is coverage of the pivot rod elbow which will protect occupants from head impact injury in the event of a crash, yet allows the sun visor to both pivot and rotate in a fully normal and familiar manner.